Today's News

Members of the Bedford County School Board, Bedford County Board of Supervisors, M.B. Kahn Construction and others gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for the new middle school in the Liberty zone. Liberty Middle School is slated to be open in Aug. 2018 with actual construction expected to begin in the next couple of weeks.

Bedford County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating several reports of thefts from vehicles in the Lake Vista area of Bedford County.
The larcenies occurred late Thursday night or early morning hours of Friday. All the thefts were from unlocked vehicles. Items missing are wallets, personal items, a .270 rifle and credit cards.

A former sergeant in the US Army pleaded no contest Tuesday to six felony charges related to a relationship he had with a 14-year-old Bedford County girl.
Angelo E. Paderes , 27, entered the pleas on four counts of computer solicitation, one count of carnal knowledge and one count of abduction. A sentencing hearing has been set for March 3 at 1:30 p.m. on the charges. The no contest pleas mean he agrees the commonwealth has enough evidence to convict him, while not admitting to the crimes.

Retirement and an urge to farm brought Dr. Sandra Ratliff, Johnson Health Center’s newest pediatrician, to Bedford.
Her husband, Dave, is the one who retired. Dr. Ratliff was not ready to retire, but they both had the same agricultural interest.
“We knew we wanted to farm,” she said.

Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Bedford had nearly a dozen small family owned grocery stores.

One of them was Childress’ Cash Food Market, owned by Wes Childress. The market was located in the building, on West Main Street, that now serves as Bedford’s Elks Lodge and Wes’ son, Tim Childress is a member and official of that lodge.

A public hearing on a request by Bedford’s Elks Lodge for real estate tax exempt status drew only one speaker. Tim Childress, a member of the Lodge who spoke in favor of it.
Childress said the Lodge’s directors are not paid and no money goes to any members and the Lodge does not attempt to influence legislation.
“The tax is significant to the the Lodge but is negligible to the town,” Childress said.

The Bedford County Board of Supervisors voted pay raises for full time and part time county employees, effective Dec. 1.
The raises are the result of a salary study that indicated that Bedford County salaries are substantially lower than those paid by surrounding localities. It will cost $900,000 to implement the pay raises for the rest of the current fiscal year, which will end on June 30.
The raises range from 2 percent to 32 percent, depending on how a position ranked in the study.